I've been looking at this patternMcCalls 6613
but how do I determine how difficult it is? Don't most patterns have this information?
I don't do a lot of garments so I want something that won't end up as a wadder.

When there is no level of difficulty, which often there is not, you can try to break down the elements of the pattern.

1. Collar
2. Set in sleeve. If you notice that the sleeve seam is offset, you can tell that you will not be able to attach the sleeve flat. The shirt side seam must be constructed as must the sleeve seam.
3. The offset sleeve seam suggests that the cuff and the placket might be a little simpler to construct.
4. The yoke could be simple or you could learn how to do the "burrito" technique which finishes nicely.
5. Buttonholes

BTW, if you are hesitant about collars, go to page 3 of Tip and Techniques, sewing silly posted on 5/13/13 from Threads what many of us associate with Nancy Zieman. It's a clever way to recut a true shirt collar pattern pieces to achieve great point.

But, back to my original thought. Anytime you see a pattern you are interested in, break it down to construction sessions and consider what you are comfortable doing one thing at a time. The other thing you will want to think about is the fabric used and how comfortable you are with what is needed to achieve the desired effect.

HTH -- Edited on 11/15/13 10:53 AM --

------"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown

Palmer/Pletsch patterns usually have extra details included in the instructions. Nice that it has a two piece sleeve.

Since you don't do a lot of garments, it will help if you take seam to seam measurements of an existing garment with a good fit and compare that to the seam to seam measurements of the pattern before you start cutting the fabric.

Make practice runs on components before executing the component on the garment.

If your interfacing is generic, with no indication of not needing to be preshrunk, then preshrink it.

I would not categorize the pattern as difficult. It may seem tedious the first time around. The nice thing about this type of pattern when combined with a woven fabric is that attending to the seemingly tedious details should lead to predictable results.
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Here is an easy way to find some threads on shirt construction.......

Go up and slightly to the right to find the Search Board function.
Enter in the words below with no spaces between the words - jam them all together into one long word.

shirt construction thread

Click on Messages.

Leave the name of the poster blank.
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Found the perfect pocket thread and added it to the search category above.

It was tgmandKittys who suggested earmarking threads that would include shirt construction tips from Soolip.

And, if you are going to make shirts, you will eventually come across helpful tips from Pam-off-the-cuff -- Edited on 11/16/13 11:11 AM --

------I have no idea what Apple thought I was saying so be a Peach and credit anything bizarre to auto correct.

My first garment EVER was a (collarless) button-front tunic. Now thinking back, I think I was crazy, but that was in the days before the interwebs, so I didn't know any better, and I just went and did it--so if this is what you want to make, you should go for it. Just keep in mind that this is not an immediate gratification project. As others have noted, there are bits that can be fiddly--like the collar, and the front placket. Take your time, practice each step first, and have a wonderful time.

I too, think Palmer/Pletsch patterns are the way to go. It's like a little mini sewing lesson in each one.

I had a student in my Lazy Pants class at Joann's (I teach there), who wanted to do something on her own at home. I went with her to the pattern books and we started looking. I pointed out and highly suggested, she go with a Palmer/Pletsch and this pattern #6613, was one of them I wouldn't have suggested this to just anyone though. This lady had a lot of experience with her machine(she was a quilter, coming back to garment sewing). She did very well with her Lazy pants and understood basic sewing concepts. If you have already done some garments and can follow/understand a pattern, I say go for it

Quote: EleanorSews When there is no level of difficulty, which often there is not, you can try to break down the elements of the pattern.

1. Collar

2. Set in sleeve. If you notice that the sleeve seam is offset, you can tell that you will not be able to attach the sleeve flat. The shirt side seam must be constructed as must the sleeve seam.

3. The offset sleeve seam suggests that the cuff and the placket might be a little simpler to construct.

4. The yoke could be simple or you could learn how to do the "burrito" technique which finishes nicely.

5. Buttonholes

....

But, back to my original thought. Anytime you see a pattern you are interested in, break it down to construction sessions and consider what you are comfortable doing one thing at a time. The other thing you will want to think about is the fabric used and how comfortable you are with what is needed to achieve the desired effect.

HTH
-- Edited on 11/15/13 10:53 AM --

I couldn't say it better!

Before reading through the thread, I went to your pattern and looked it over, saw the back and front both, and thought it over "as if" I might be making it up. But I cannot share anything better than this advice. (By the way, I too like P/P patterns. If I'm not mistaken, they are deliberately intended to be easy to work with, like a mini sewing lesson. They are the ones who publish Winky Cherry's excellent learning to sew method for children.)

Edit: I don't know how comfortable you are with buttons. Just sharing what I did that finally conquered my fear of them. I got some scrap fabric and one day when I was in no hurry, I put on a scented candle and a nice book on CD and just sat there, making them over and over until I was at ease. And I was at ease while getting the swing of it, without any time constraint and with something else to listen to while I was learning. -- Edited on 11/16/13 2:15 PM --

I absolutely agree with everyone here. I also would like to add that making a shirt will help you grow in your experience and abilities. I tend to sew with knits a lot, and then spend time with wovens. A shirt is always a technical joy for me. In fact, I have just finished 3 blouses and am planning some collared shirts.

Quote: lgrande I don't do a lot of garments so I want something that won't end up as a wadder.

Aside from the technical difficulty of how challenging it will be to assemble this piece, also consider issues of fit. On the one hand, because it's a unisex pattern, the fit should be pretty forgiving (ie, roomy). OTOH, it can sometimes be hard to make a unisex pattern look flattering on a woman's body--make sure you'll have enough ease in the hips, that the sleeves won't be too long, etc. That would be a bigger concern for me with this pattern.

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